#2017 writer interview

[richonnefics]

Happy Summer Solstice lovely Richonners! We have about a little under a month (24 days to be exact) until San Diego Comic Con. May we be blessed with lots of Richonne but until then, beat the heat with another Richonne writer interview. Please take your time to get to know a bit more about @yellehughes!

Richonnefics (RF): Hi yellehughes! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview.  Any tips for those that are going through writer’s block?

Yellehughes (YH): Well, this is what I do to help me get through writer’s block. Since I write Richonne fanfics, I immerse myself in Richonne (that’s not weird, is it?) I set up a playlist on YouTube and the videos consist of crack humor, TWD scenes and music fanvids. They all feature Rick and Michonne’s voice and it allows me to keep their characters in my mind as I’m writing. Reading other fanfics helps, but not too many because I don’t want to make the mistake and accidentally pilfer someone’s ideas. I go back and watch episodes that are specific to Richonne, or heck just watch them all anyway. I try and get feedback from my fellow Richonne fanfic writers when I get stuck and vice versa. One last little trick I perform for myself: I think of the scene that I’m working on as I’m going to sleep. I can dream up new things and when I wake up, I write it down. And, bam! I’ve broken my writer’s block.

RF: What is your favorite word and why?

YH: Epiphany, derived from the Ancient Greek word, epiphaneia. It means to experience a sudden and striking realization. My first understanding of the word was when I read, The Miracle Worker. A story about Helen Keller and how she finally understood that what Anne Sullivan was spelling in her hand had a meaning. It never clicked in her mind until, Anne stuck Helen’s hand in water and then signed WATER in her hand at the same time. That moment stood out to me and every time I learn something new or realize something, I get my HKM (Helen Keller Moment) and it’s a beautiful feeling.

RF: I think Epiphany is a beautiful word.  It sounds really nice when spoken.  Are you a plotter or a pantster?

YH: I’m a little bit of both. When I started writing my first fanfic, The TWD Chronicles, I outlined and wrote down the plot for each chapter. Once I have a starting point, it’s all flying by the seat of my pants from there.

RF: Have you always enjoyed writing?

YH: I’ve always wanted to write stories since I was in the 7th grade and that was a long time ago. I actually started writing my first work, Triton, in high school. I had the character’s names, what they would look like and how they would first meet (it’s a romance, by the way) Unfortunately, life got in the way and it was only until my kids were grown, and I took a trip to Greece, that I took my writing seriously. I brought out my old papers and reworked everything that I had written and self-published my first novel in 2014. I’ve been writing ever since. And, then I discovered the world of Fanfiction. I’ve never seen a tv show so good at building characters and it woke me up (epiphany) on what I was missing in my own writing. I didn’t understand this before I wrote my first two books. So, I will be going back over them later and do some tweaking.

RF: Fanfiction can really be an educational experience, especially with a helpful community of writers. What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

YH: Writing the ending. That means I say goodbye to the people I’ve spent a lot of time with.

RF: What is your most favorite part of the writing process?

YH: Coming up with witty dialogue. I laugh a lot and I laugh at my characters, a lot. So, I like to make them say crazy and funny things. Also, envisioning what my characters look like and creating them.

RF: A writer typically has me for life if they can make me laugh.  Have you learned anything from writing fan fiction?

YH: Yup, that sometimes my writing sucks, and even though it’s not perfect, it’s my story on how I see it. I don’t have to write it the way others say I should write it. It’s for my pleasure and hopefully to please the readers. Fan fiction has opened me up to a whole new world and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. It’s connected me to readers and writers and so many have made me feel welcomed. Nothing beats that.

RF: The one consistent thing I’ve heard over the years by Richonners and non-Richonners is how much hospitality there is within the Richonne writing community. When and why did you begin writing fan fiction?

YH: I’m late to the Richonne fandom because I was one of the ones who refused to watch the show because I thought it was all about killing zombies (oops, I said the dreaded word!) I was a super fan of Supernatural (at least watching it, never heard of fanfiction) until John Winchester was vilified. Then it was bye-bye SPN. JDM was the reason I started watching in the first place. Okay, that’s another story. I could go on and on why SPN pissed me off. Anyway, I heard he was joining TWD. Now remember, I had no clue as to what this show was about, besides killing zombies (oh no!) So, I went online and started watching some videos about Season 7’s last episode with the lineup. I saw all these people on their knees and I’m like, “Hmmm…. what’s up with this?” I didn’t know them and that scene made me WANT to know who they were. So, I went to Netflix and started from the beginning and I have been hooked from the pilot. Because I’m so nosey, I started looking up more and more info on the show. I happened to say to one of my author friends, what if someone expanded on the characters outside the show? Girl, she gave me a link to a Richonne fanfic, I’d about died! Was this real? Did people really do this? Yes, and yes! I went on a reading binge of several authors and I noticed that there wasn’t that many stories too focused on fantasy or the supernatural (that’s my thing) and I thought, what if I made Rick and Michonne, Greek gods? How would that go and the rest is history.

RF: Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with the readers?

YH: I talk a lot or type a lot, as you can see up above. I love helping fellow writers with showing off their work. I like compliments. I like giving compliments. Sometimes I say the wrong thing, but I eventually apologize. As a writer, I invite criticism of my work. I need that in order to improve. I have a busy mind, so sometimes I go off on tangents.

RF: Fun, semi-related question: Mints or Apples?

YH: Apples, because I can do so much more with them. I can slice them and put them in my oatmeal with cinnamon. I can eat them straight off the tree. I can make an apple pie with them. I can throw them at my brother and make it hurt (can’t do that with mints) I can eat them with peanut butter, salt, caramel. Make juice (well not make it, I can buy it) I will say though, if someone wants to give me mints, especially if he’s a smoking hot deputy sheriff from King’s County, I’ll take it!

RF: Thank you so much for your time.  We really enjoyed getting to know you better.  If you aren’t following @yellehughes on tumblr, exactly what are you waiting for? You can find all of yellehughes Richonne fanfiction here on fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/~yellehughes

[richonnefics]

Hiya lovely Richonners! We have another wonderful and insightful interview with a talented Richonne fanfiction writer.  Please take some time to get to know @richonnelandfill!

Richonnefics (RF): Hi richonnelandfill.  Thanks so much for taking some time to interview with us.  Are there any websites or resources that have been helpful to you as a writer?

Richonnelandfill (RLF): I always try to challenge myself to stretch my vocabulary so I faithfully keep a tab with Thesaurus.com open. I’m still new to writing so I love using other authors as resources. I remember trying to learn how to transition from scene to scene within a story and I was reading a fanfic at the time. I was like ‘oh, okay this person did it effortlessly. Let me study how they used transitions throughout their work.’ We have some very talented writers in this fandom, so they are great models for writing. I also have a wonderful beta, @yourwonderingwoman who is phenomenal.

RF: What is something memorable you have heard from your readers?

RLF: I completely loved when someone told me that I made them like a character in my story that they hated on the show. That’s a big deal.

RF: That is a great compliment because there are so many unlikable characters on the show.  LOL! How do you brainstorm your story ideas?

RLF: I think most of my story ideas come from meta discussion honestly. I don’t know why but I’m obsessed with the holes that we don’t see in the show so I love hypothesizing the details of those unseen events.

RF: That’s an interesting method to use for brainstorming.  What is your favorite place for thinking?

RLF: So there’s probably a permanent butt print on my couch because I sit there to brainstorm, draft, and type all my stories. It’s pretty unhealthy how long I will sit there and work on stories.

RF: What was your first fanfiction and how have you grown since then?

RLF: My first fanfic was Be Safe. First off, that story took me three months to write and I wrote the whole thing word for word on paper, so it was like 10 pages that I had to type into a document. I’ve since learned the art of outlining. I also think my imagery has gotten better. I’m still working on developing plot; that is my Achilles heel so I’m challenging myself to write more multi-chapter fics.

RF: The more you write, the more you learn about yourself and the art I think.  What are some ways in which you promote your work?

RLF: I love posting on Tumblr. I always post a gif that coincides with my emotion about the work I’m posting.

RF: What do you think makes your stories stand out from the crowd?

RLF: Interesting that you ask this. I am as much a fan of Richonne fanfiction as I am a writer, so I am constantly reading stories. I think every last one of my fanfics, has been influenced by another story by another author. So there’s a sort of six degrees of separation thing going on lol. I think what makes my stories stand out is the fact that I take Richonne meta and try to keep it as close to canon as possible. For ex: In the show Rick has yet to say ‘I love you’, so for all my stories set in season 7 or earlier I haven’t had him say it yet. I like hanging onto realism, although I love reading all genres. (Realism in a ZA, laughable right?)

RF: I personally love fics that keep the characters “in character” so to speak.  As a reader and lover of the ship I appreciate that very much.  How long have you been writing?

RLF: It’s been a little over a year.

RF: And many more to come, I’m sure.  How do you find or make time to write?

RLF: This is the hard part. When I first started I was still in school, so free-time was pretty common. Now that I work I’m usually up late at night typing or random early mornings. I have this thing I call “mad scientist hours” which is when I randomly wake up around 4:30 am and I have the most productive writing spurts, whether it be drafting or typing.

RF: Now for the fun, semi-related question.  What would be the first thing you did if a ZA were to occur?

RLF: If a ZA were to happen I’m pulling a Beth. Let me watch the kids. I’m not trying to risk my life going on runs and what not let me just hold the baby lol. That’s how I’ll earn my keep.

RF: Haha! I appreciate a self aware woman. Well, thank you so much for your time. You can find richonnelandfill’s fanfiction on fanfiction.net HERE! And if you’re not following her on Tumblr you should, to make sure your getting all the updates for her Richonne fanfiction.

[richonnefics]

Hiya Richonners! What ever will we do during this hiatus? No Richonne for six months on our televisions? Read and write fanfiction and re-watch Richonne-centric episodes of The Walking Dead of course. And you can learn more about your favorite authors here as well.  Take some time to get to know Vegasloversteel!

Richonnefics (RF): Hiya @vegasloversteel! Thanks for allowing us to interview you.  What’s your favorite thing about the Richonne fandom? Least favorite thing?

Vegasloversteel (VLS): My favorite thing about the Richonne fandom is the fact that 95% of the people are nice, welcoming and accepting. I have made some people that are true friends, that I talk to everyday whether it is about Richonne or not. Richonne was just the catalyst for me. I’ve had a rough few months which has delayed my writing. I don’t know what I would have done without people like @sugarysweetzee, @severelybabykryptonite, @thebaetide and others.

My least favorite thing? Hmmm…maybe the constant need that what we are shown isn’t enough? Like everyone loved ‘Say Yes’ but people still needed more. Don’t get me wrong, I would have LOVED to see the deleted sex scene but hopefully it will come.

RF: I’ve met some pretty amazing people in this fandom, people I really consider friends so I totally agree with you about the welcoming and accepting facet of the Richonne fandom.  Is there a subject you cannot bring yourself to write about and why?

VLS: I can’t bring myself to write about rape or abuse because luckily I haven’t been through either so I can’t do the material justice. What I mean is, I don’t have the knowledge or basis to write that type of trauma or pain that I’m sure is associated with those acts. I think sometimes in order to justify a ship or a person’s behavior, people write about things and don’t give them the care they deserve, and some people even romanticize them.

RF: What other artistic pursuits do you indulge in apart from writing?

VLS: I draw and I dance. Writing has always been my thing though. I wrote my first multi chapter story when I was in the 3rd grade on a rainy day. I showed it to my teacher for her opinion and ended up getting extra credit!

RF: Nice! Have you tried your hand at any Richonne fanart? When is the best time of day for you to write?

VLS: The best time of the day for me to write is usually at night. I’m truly a night owl so after thinking all day, it comes together then.

RF: Night Owl’s Unite! LOL! Though I really need to change that habit and start going to be earlier.  Waking up is always such an ordeal.  What did you find most useful in learning to write?

VLS: What did I find most useful? Learning to use descriptions, adjectives and adverbs to set the scene. When I write, I visualize EVERYTHING. I see the scene in my head as though it is a movie. The colors, the outfit, even the furniture placement at times. So I use these tools so that the reader sees them that way too.

RF: I’ve had a lot of writers explain that there is always a visualization of scenes before pen gets put to paper.  Where do you get most of your ideas?

VLS: Honestly, music inspires me heavily. ‘My Boo’ and 'When I See You’ popped into my head while driving home from work listening to Spotify. Other times I’ll just be doing a re-watch and something will hit me. I remember re-watching 'After’ and seeing Andre with Michonne. I seriously thought, 'What if Andre was Rick’s? But he didn’t know it?’ I began 'Found’ about two hours later.  Something with my one shot ‘The One You Lost’; When Rick gave Michonne that cat and said that it struck me. Doing the re-watch later that night, I got the headcanon. I then messaged my sounding boards and asked what they thought of it even though I JUST got around to writing it! Lol.

RF: There’s nothing like a good playlist to inspire you.  Do you write everyday or just when the writing bug strikes?

VLS: I write when it strikes me. I have a TON of stories I have started but want to finish the ones I have out. I usually get struck late at night after work when I have a big glass of wine and am either listening to music or watching tv to relax.

RF: What do you think makes a good story?

VLS: A good story to me is one that is planned out, where the author has thought about the beginning, middle and end. Chapter 1-3, 20-25 and 40-45. They have an end game and it shows in the consistency of the story. Yeah things might get tweaked or added but for the most part it is planned out well. That and descriptions! Lol. Not of everything but the important parts. Like I said, I am very visual. @herewaskendra draws me in every time just by her descriptions

RF: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

VLS: I have no quirks. Seriously. Well… does Chardonnay count?

RF: If a ZA were to occur, do you think you would survive? Explain why or why not.

VLS: I would DEFINITELY survive. I am a GREAT judge of character so I wouldn’t be hoodwinked by people like The Governor, Scavengers or Terminites. I am in great physical shape and was a girl scout. One thing that could hurt me? I am allergic to EVERYTHING so when the ZA started, I would have to raid all the pharmacies for Claritin and Benadryl! Lol. Now that would affect my reaction time. First thing I would do? Find a weapon like a Katana that wouldn’t need ammo and get a water purifier of some sort. Second thing? Find my own Rick Grimes! Lol.

RF: Thank you so much vegasloversteel for your time and answering these questions about your writing process.  It was a pleasure getting to know you and I’m sure the readers out there will eat this up.  If you would like to follow vegasloversteel on tumblr, click on her name and FOLLOW and you can find her Richonne fanfiction here on ff.net.

[richonnefics]

Have you all recovered from 7X12 and all the love Andy showed Richonne and Michonne in the past week? I don’t think we want to recover from it here at richonnefics!  Well lovelies, we’re at another month and we have another superb Richonne fanfiction wrtier to share their story with you all.  Please take some time out to learn more about @then-i-defyyou!

Richonnefics (RF): Hi thenidefy you! Thanks so much for this privilege to interview you.  Are you currently reading any fanfics? If so, which ones?

then-i-defyyou (TIDY): I haven’t read too much lately because life is currently wild for me, but I did recently read Lemonade by cakebythepound for a second time!

RF: What have you learned about yourself since you’ve been writing?

TIDY: I have some pretty long lulls in between my spurts of creativity. I can go months without working on something (as anyone who has read Same Tight Rope can attest...sorry guys but I promise I’m gonna finish it!) I also learned I write better using a pen and paper than on the computer. I’m a hipster, I guess! In general I’ve learned that I’m a lot better at writing and weaving together a story than I thought.

RF: Those little self discoveries are so nice and really aide us on the writing journey.  What is something memorable you have heard from your readers?

TIDY: I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on how I write dialogue. That means a lot because that’s the thing that I’m most self conscious about. I try to really get into the heads of the characters and imagine how they would react and speak in different situations. For example, if they’re in a high stress situation words are probably going to get truncated and sentences are going to be as short as possible. In a calm, relaxed environment they’re going to be a bit more wordy and able to pause and gather their thoughts more. I’ll sometimes spend longer on dialogue than the actual plot!

RF: I love dialogue and really think it’s one of the more important components of the overall story.  Do you remember the first Richonne story you ever read and how it impacted you?

TIDY: I can’t find it now, but there was a Daryl/Michonne/Rick fic that I found forever ago when I was still a Daryl/Michonne shipper. Serpentine or something like that? Maybe someone will know what I’m talking about? But anyway, that one for whatever reason broke me. It was some next level smut and I was there. For. It.

RF: What do your readers mean to you?

TIDY: E V E R Y T H I N G. It’s because of them that I kept writing and am currently working on an original sci-fi novel. I had little to no self confidence when I posted the first chapter (then, a one-shot) for Same Tight Rope and the encouragement and support I received gave me motivation to write more as a hobby and to improve my skills.

RF: Is being a writer a gift or a curse?

TIDY: Definitely a gift. It’s so cathartic and when you’re able to pull people into a world you’ve created and have them enjoy it and experience a range of emotions it’s extremely rewarding. I think the only downside is having a really good idea come to mind when you aren’t able to note it anywhere and then forgetting it. When that happens I’m kicking myself for at least 12 hours.

RF: I keep a notebook on me at all times for that reason! Do you do your own editing or do you use a beta?

TIDY: I edit it myself, usually. Sometimes my fiancé will read through my works, too, which I particularly appreciate because of his tough but fair critiques. I also have a friend who is a Dedicated Smut Expert™ who reviews all that for me because I struggle at smut and probably always will.

RF: What do you think most characterizes your writing?

TIDY: I’d say my dialogue. The more I read over past chapters and works the more proud I am. Full disclosure: when trying to get Rick’s voice and speech mannerisms down I either a) drink a lot or b) call my parents so my Southern accent comes out full force and record myself reading it aloud, then I edit it based on how I sound. It works and I love my parents and bourbon so ayyyyyy!

RF: That’s an interesting and probably quite effective tactic! LOL! How do you find or make time to write?

TIDY: It’s pretty easy for me to make time. I work at a chemical emergency hotline so if the phone isn’t ringing or I’m not doing research, I’m writing. I also have more time off due to the stressful nature of this job, and that helps too. Once I no longer have to worry about my upcoming wedding I’ll have even more time!

RF: Now for the fun, semi related question.  If a ZA were to occur, what would be your weapon of choice that has not been used on the show or comic?

TIDY: This is easily the hardest question. Maybe a folding chair so I can live out my secret WWE dreams!

RF: Haha! That’s great! Well, thenidefyyou, thank you again for taking your time to answer a few questions about your writing habits. Your readers and richonnefics appreciate it so very much.  You all can check out @then-i-defyyou’s works on fanfiction.net HERE!

[richonnefics]

It’s a new year and we have a lot in store for you all and among that content are more Richonne fanfiction writer interviews.  This fandom has grown exponentially and as a result so has Richonne fanfiction.  We hope to continue to introduce you all to the many talented writers in our writing community.  We had the pleasure to ask @bigunknownkingdom some questions about how structured her writing process is, where she gets most of her ideas for her stories and if she’d ever consider co-writing a fanfic with another Richonne writer.

Richonnefics (RF): Hi bigunknownkingdom! Thank you so much for your time in answering some questions to share with your readers and fellow Richonne shippers.  What types of fics do you really enjoy writing? Drabbles, One-Shots, Multi-Chapters, Fluff, Smut, Slash, Femslash, Lemonshots, etc.

Bigunknownkingdom (BUK): I’m a fan of one-shots because it’s an easy way to get a sudden idea out on the page, but my favorite is honestly the multi-chapter. For every drabble/one-shot that I’ve written, there are at least 3-5 extra chapters worth of ideas that I have not written that I would love to. Once I’m done with the two multi-chapters I’ve been working on, I want to go back and expand on one of the one-shots I published.

RF: There are so many one shots that could easily become multi chapters. How do you translate the stories in your imagination to actual stories?

BUK: That takes forever! Lol. I’ve written about this before, but I have to personally feel the emotion of the scene (crying when Michonne is crying, laughing when Rick is laughing, etc) or I won’t write anything down, so it takes a while for me to translate my ideas into actual scenes. I want to be able to feel the scene, so I go through it over and over in my head and then read and reread it until it feels just right (and even then I’m never certain about it). I’m not sure if I answered this question properly.

RF: Evoking emotion while writing yourself is a good indication that it’ll resonate with the readers.  How structured are you during your writing process?

BUK: I am honestly the most haphazard writer. I know where I want to go overall with the stories, but I do not plan out my chapters at all. For the most part I have certain scenes that I want to include, certain character moments I want to hit, and then I spend days just thinking about it, working it out in my head what character moments I want to hit. Honestly, if the scene doesn’t garner any kind of emotional response from me while I’m imagining it, I won’t write it down. So it sometimes takes me days between writing scenes because the detail isn’t there. It’ll take me 2-3 weeks to write one scene and then all of a sudden I’ll get overly emotional (and a nice glass of red wine) and finish my chapter in two days. I’ll write out of order if a scene takes me before I’ve finished with the first.

Often, I’m spending time on scenes for chapters I haven’t written yet! I have pages of extra scenes for both stories that I’ll work on and add to (which is also why it takes me forever to post new chapters). That first scene in Chap 4 of “Getting Into You” with Michonne, Andre, and Carl was actually finished before I’d even started on Chapter 3, that’s how all over the place I am. I tried to be more focused earlier on to get the chapters out on a more regular basis, but LOL, no. 

All of that to say that, yes, I do just kinda let if flow.

RF: It’s so interesting to see how different the writing process is for writers. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

BUK: It’s exhausting honestly, but not in a bad way. My mind is constantly running through Richonne scenes and I get super emotional about those two. Writing that down is draining for me, but I’m happy when I’m finally able to transfer it from my mind. I get lost in the details so I definitely have to take breaks and work myself up to write again. Probably why it takes me so long to update my stories.

RF: What did you find most useful in learning to write?

BUK: Continuously writing. I used to write HP fanfics back in middle school (do not go looking for it because they are really, really awful), but the one thing I did that helped me going forward was that I churned out A LOT of fics with a lot of chapters. I just kept writing, even when the stories were bad, even when the plots were outrageous, the characters were OOC, whatever. I just wrote. It helped me figure out my writing style, it helped me figure out what worked and what didn’t. The more I wrote, the more feedback I received, which was also super helpful. The feedback helped me understand character development, tropes, etc. By no means am I an awesome writer, but I am definitely better than I was and that’s only because I kept writing, I learned more about writing, and I improved. I’m hoping I will continue to do so.

RF: Where do you get most of your ideas?

BUK: I’m a single, black woman with an active imagination, a romantic sensibility, and a lot of rage. My ideas come from things I would love to experience, things I have experienced, and things I imagine to escape reality. Richonne and the apocalypse are fertile ground also, so it’s great that we have such an amazing OTP.

RF: We all agree Richonne in and of itself is quite an inspiring pair.  What room/space is your favorite to write in?

BUK: My couch or my bed. I live in a studio, so I can see the TV from both, lol. I need music/television running to concentrate, otherwise I get distracted by the sounds of my neighbors or birds or whatever. As long as I’m comfortable and have an Archer marathon playing in the background, I can get some writing done.

RF: Sounds like a cozy and relaxing environment.  Have you ever considered co-writing a fanfic with another Richonne writer?

BUK: I was happy to participate in the “Fast Friends” story that @siancore began last year and I’ve contributed to Round Robins, so I’m totally open to co-writing a story with someone else.

RF: Do you share your writing with your friends and family or do you prefer the anonymity of writing fanfiction online?

BUK: Oh absolutely not. My mother knows I write on the internet, but she doesn’t know my username, so I’m very much anonymous to my friends and family. There are certain things I write (and post/reblog) on this site that I would prefer not the include in my family interactions.

RF: What are you looking forward to most with Richonne in the next half of this season?

BUK: Ha! Is this getting into spoiler territory? Should we issue a spoiler alert for this question? Ok, well, SPOILER ALERT, I’m looking forward to Richonne continuing to grow not only as a family, but just to see them be more intimate with each other (emotionally and physically). I’m totally ready (and by that I mean I’m not ready) for 7x12, cause of all the Richonne goodness!

RF: There’s so much to look forward to with those two.  Thank you so very much for your time and allowing us to get to know you a little more as a person and as a writer.  We appreciate our Richonne writers so much.  You all can follow bigunknownkingdom on Tumblr and can catch her fanfiction HERE on fanfiction.net!